Post pulling device



March 11, 1958 J. KO HORST 2,826,392

POST PULLING DEVICE 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 26, 1954 INVENTOR JOSEPH KOHORST ATTORNEYS 2,826,392 P0513 PULlZlNG Joseph KBhiii-st; Arcadia, Iewa Application November 26 1254;. SerialNo. 471,138

1 Claim. c1. zs4--i)- I This invention relates to jack devices, and more particularly toan improved device for pulling, posts from the ground.

The main object of the invention. is to provide anovel and improved postv puller which is simple in. construction, which is easy to operate, and which. is especially suitable for pulling posts. of various cross sectional shapes.

A. further object of the invention is to provide an: improved post pulling device which involves inexpensive components, which is rugged in construction, which is easily'adjustable in accordance withv the cross sectional sizeof the post to be pulled and. which may be employed at timesv as a jack device or elevating means,

I A still fiurther: object of the invention: is to provide: an improved post puller which is adapted for pulling: either -s t'eel posts or wooden posts and which may be converted from, its. steel post pulling condition. to its wooden post pulling condition with. a small amount: oi efiort.

, Further objects and: advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description: and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is atop plan view of an improved post puller constructed in accordance with the present. invention, shown arranged for pulling up a steel post.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the: post puller of Figure l. I

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 4-=- 4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a post puller according to the present invention arranged for pulling a wooden post from the ground.

Figured is a side elevational view of the structural arrangement of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 4, 11 generally designates a vertical standard having a horizontal base 12 to support the standard 11 in vertical position. Designated at 13 is a lever formed with a plurality of apertured depending lugs 14 adjacent one end thereof, a selected lug 14 being pivotally connected to the top end of the standard 11, as by the provision of spaced parallel pivot lugs 15 at the top end of the standard 11 between which the selected lug 14 is received and is pivotally connected, as by a transverse bolt 16.

The end of the lever 13 adjacent the pivot lugs 14 is formed with the spaced parallel apertured lugs'18, 18 between which is received the end of a sleeve member 19 which is pivotally connected to the lugs 18, 18 by a transverse pivot bolt 20. Thus, as shown in Figure 4, the end of the sleeve member 19 has the depending pivot lug 21 which is received between the lugs 18, 18 and through which the pivot bolt extends.

' United ates Patent- 0 Patented Mar. 11, 1958 Slidably received in the sleeve member 19 is a plunger element 22 which is biased inwardly by a coiled spring 23 connected between an upstanding pin 24 on the plunger element 22 and a similar upstanding pin. 25 on the rear portion of the sleeve member 19. Threadedly engaged through the end wall of the sleeve member 19 is an adjustable screw 26 which is employed to regulate the normal amount of extension of. the plunger member 22 from the sleeve member 19.

Integrally formed on the outer end: of the plunger member 22 is the transversely extending post gripping element 27 oi substantial length, as shown in Figure 3.

The intermediate portion of the sleeve" member 19 is formed with a depending apertured pivot lug'128. Designated generally at 29 is a frame-like jaw having the respective parallel arms 30 and 31. connected by a bight portion 32. Rigidly secured to the arm 31 are the pivot lugs 33, 33 between which the lug 28 is receivable and which is connected pivotally to the lug 28 by atransverse pivot bolt 34, as is clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4;

By means of the adjusting screw 26-, the transversely extending jaw element 27" of the plunger 22 may be adjus'ted so that. it is extended over a portion of the enclosure defined by the member 29 and so that it may cooperate with the arm 30 to gr'ip'piiigly engage a post received in said closure, in a manner presently to be described.

In: using the device, the post, shown at 36; is engaged in the enclosure defined by the member 29, as by slipping the member 29' on the post from the side of the post, with the lever 13 in a position such as that shown in dotted view' in; Figure 2, namely, with the outer portion of the lever elevated. The lever 13 is then 'riotated clockwise, as. viewed in: Figure 2, to cahsethe sleeve member 19 to be rotated counterclockwise with respect to its pivot bolt 34 and with respect to the member 29'; The sleeve element 19 may be rotated clockwise until its forward portion: abhtsthe member 29 which occurs when the sleeve element- 19 is substantially parallel to the plane ef the member 29, in which position the transversely extending gripping member 27 firmly and clamping ly engages the post 36, in the position illustrated in full line view in Figure 2', whereby continued clockwise rotation" of the lever 13 causes the post 36' to be lifted out ofthe ground. After the post 36 has been lifted a short distance, and when the end (if the allowable travel of the lever 13 has been reached, lever 13 may be rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, to allow the member '29 to slip down to a new position on the post member 36, for example, to a position such as that shown in dotted view in Figure 2, after which the procedure above described may be repeated to again elevate the post 36. The post 36 may thus be completely liftted out of the ground by repeated operations of the device as above described.

Rigidly secured on the arm 30 of the member 29 is a hook member 37 which may be employed as an attaching means for a chain, when it is desired to use the device as a jack, the chain being attached to an object to be elevated for example, for pulling up a short wooden post,

the opposite end of the chain being secured in any suitable manner to the wooden post to be pulled up.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 8, the device is shown adapted for use in pulling up wooden posts, such as a wooden post 40. In Figures 5 to 8, the same standard 11 is employed, having the base 12, as in the previously described structural arangement, and substantially a similar lever 13 is employed, the lever 13' having the depending apertured pivot lugs 14 spaced apart so that the lever 13' may be pivotally connected at a desired location therealong to the top end of the standard 11.

Designated at 41 is a first jaw member which is pivotally connected at 42 to the end of the lever 13'. the end 0.?

the lever being provided with the spaced parallel aperrelationship in any suitable manner, said bar members 43 being rigidly connected at their forward ends to an arcuate gripping plate 44 having the horizontally extending gripping teeth 45, as is clearly shown in Figures 7 -and 8. The member 44 is rigidly braced to the bars 43,

toothed arcuate plate 44 is disposed so that it extends inwardly over the frame-like member 47 and thus extends over a portion of the enclosure defined by said framelike member. The bar elements 43 are formed with the transversely aligned spaced apertures 52 at a selected pair of which the member 47 may be pivotally connected to the bars, as by a transverse bolt 53. Rigidly secured .to the intermediate portion of the arm 49 are the upstanding pivot lugs 54, 54 between which the arms 43, 43 are receivable and through which the pivot bolt 53 extends,

as is clearly shown in Figure 6. By employing a selected pair of apertures 52, the degree of extension of the armate toothed gripping member 44 may be adjusted in accordance with the diameter of the post 40 to be pulled.

In using the device, the jaw member 47 is engaged over the post and is allowed to slip down the post, the outer portion of the lever 13 being thus rotated to an elevated position. Thereafter, the lever 13' is rotated clockwise, as viewed in Figure 6, causing the teeth 45 of the member 44 to grippingly engage the post, whereby the lifting force of the lever 13' is transmitted to the post when the member 41 becomes substantially parallel to the member 47.

As in the previously described embodiment of the invention, the jaw member 41, comprising the bars 43, 43 may rotate counterclockwise around the pivot bolt 42 with respect to the second jaw member 47 until the bars 43, 43 abut the arm 49 of the member 47, wherein the bars 43, 43 are in positions substantially parallel to the plane of the member 47. At this point, upward force from the lever 13' may be transmitted directly to the 'post 40, whereby the post may be elevated by rotating the lever 13' clockwise, as viewed in Figure 6, and as 'above described. After the post has been lifted and the lever 13' has been rotated as far as it will go, the lever 13' may be released and rotated counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 6, to allow the jaws to drop to a lower point on the post 40, after which the lifting procedure may be repeated, as in the previously described form of the invention.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved post puller have been disclosed 'in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim. 0 e

What is claimed is:

A post puller comprising a horizontal base, a vertical upstanding supporting standard rigidly secured to said base and supported thereby in a vertical position, a lever pivoted to said standard, a first gripping jaw pivoted directly to said lever, said first jaw comprising a sleeve element, a plunger element slidably housed in said sleeve element, screw means in one end of said sleeve element acting against one end of said plunger element to adjust the position of said plunger element relative to said sleeve element, spring means urging the plunger element against said screw means, a transversely extending post-engaging element on the other end of said plunger element, a second gripping jaw pivoted to the intermediate portion of said sleeve element, said second jaw being formed with a frame-like enclosure adapted to receive a post therein, said first-named post-engaging element being arranged for extension over a portion of said enclosure to grippingly engage a post therein, a transversely extending post-engaging element on a portion of said frame-like enclosure located opposite said first-named post-engaging element, whereby a post may be received between said post-engaging elements and may be gripped therebetween responsive to rotation of said lever, and means on said jaws limiting rotation of said first jaw downwardly toward said second jaw beyond a position wherein said first jaw is substantially parallel to the plane of said framelike enclosure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,392 Wanamaker Mar. 14, 1893 722,463 Stark Mar. 10, 1903 725,923 Beeman Apr. 21, 1903 821,645 Johnson May 29, 1906 874,086 Kimbro Dec. 17, 1907 892,236 Eubank June 30, 1908 1,983,749 Garrick Dec. 11, 1934 

